April 2, 2020
Your Weekly News from the Collin County Democratic Party
All Modern GOP Positions Are Based on Lies – Smart Government
by Sudhir Joshi, CCDP Communications Director

Editors Note: This editorial is the third in a series. To read the first editorial on the GOP Healthcare lies, click here.   To read the second editorial on GOP Fiscal Responsibility lies, click here

As I write this, we are under a state-wide order to limit social gatherings to 10 people

Most businesses have employees working from home as much as possible. Restaurants are serving for take-out only.  Colleges are teaching all classes online. The CCDP office is closed and we are conducting all business from our homes. 
 
Disasters like Covid-19 are not the fault of Democrats or Republicans. However, how the government responds to these crises is dramatically different, depending on which party is in power. 

Bush’s handling of the Hurricane Katrina disaster is widely seen as slow and inept. On the other hand, Obama's handling of the BP oil spill is remembered as quick and competent. 

Democrats believe that the government can do good things. Democrats believe that government can do some things better than the private sector because the government is not tied to the profit motive.   

Republicans, on the other hand, believe that the government needs to be reduced as much as possible. Most problems are better solved by the free market. What’s left of government after the downsizing should be utilized to maximize profit for the private sector.

So, when things go wrong under Republican administrations, the down-sized government is not prepared to adequately respond to emergencies.
Covid-19 is a perfect example.

First, Trump fired the pandemic team in the Spring of 2018. Then, when it was clear that pandemic would hit the U.S., Trump wasted valuable time with his usual series of lies: from initially calling it a hoax , to lying that he always knew it was a pandemic.

You can watch an excellent summary of the situation, including all of Trump's bumbling moves, on the 3/29/20 edition of Last Week Tonight . (Warning. This is an HBO show.)

What’s the result of this series of delays and incompetent moves?  Now the U.S. has the most cases of Coronavirus anywhere in the world .  

Keep in mind that the U.S. is only 6% of the world population! Yet, we have the most cases. Still, some Republican governors are refusing to issue state-wide stay-at-home orders such as Ron DeSantis in Florida and Tate Reeves in Mississippi .

I once heard a quote that said, "People are like teabags. You never know how strong they’ll be 'til you get them in some hot water."  

Well, we’re in some hot water now. A record three million people filed for unemployment last week . And that was just the first week after most of the stay-at-home orders were implemented around the country. 

On March 31, Trump had to finally accept reality and admit the U.S. is in a for a painful few weeks as estimates show the virus could kill between 100,000 and 240,000 people.

When there is a crisis, it is better to have someone in charge who believes government can solve big problems. You don’t want someone in charge who has to take a break from destroying the government to solve the problem.

When there is a a crisis, it’s better to have an administration that believes in science and facts. More importantly, it’s better to have an administration that will tell you the true science and facts.

Covid-19 has shown that it’s better to have a Democratic administration during a crisis, because a Republican administration will try to lie their way out of it. 
  
Ronald Reagan once joked, "The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help." In a clear case of Freudian projection, what he really meant was , "The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from a Republican-run government and I'm here to help."

The World and the US will overcome Covid-19. But history will show, once again, that a Republican administration was slow and inept in its response.

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Primary Runoff Postponed until July 14, 2020
The Primary Runoff has been postponed by Governor Greg Abbott due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.

New Runoff Election Date is July 14, 2020
Early Voting scheduled from July 6-10, 2020

May 2nd Municipal Elections are
rescheduled to November 3, 2020
(Exceptions: Cities of Anna and Wylie still scheduled for May 2)

There is discussion at the local and state level about voting options such as voting by mail, establishing different polling place procedures, etc., but there has been no decision at this time. We will relay any changes that occur through our social media channels.

Election Judges and Workers Wanted - The Primary Administration Team is continuing to recruit workers and appoint Judges and Alternate Judges for the Runoff in July. Election workers from the March 3, 2020 Primary, with a few exceptions, should have received their checks in the mail for their service.

To be an election worker in the Runoff Election , please fill out this form:  https://forms.gle/PpAjHkXXfCeSprzY7

Vote by Mail if you can! - Disabled voters and voters 65 and older are encouraged to vote by mail. When you apply to vote by mail, you will receive ballots for all elections in that calendar year. Even if you do request a mail-in ballot, you can always choose to vote in person.

You will find more complete information on voting by mail at this link:

To download an application to vote by mail , go to:

Sincerely,
The Primary Administration Team
David Smith, Barb Walters, Katie Novak

469-609-0539
R.U.D.T.V. - a R e yo U D own T o V ote?
To Do List:





  • Have you contacted voters near you? Try this cool tool MapThe.Vote to leave mail-in voter registration forms under the doormat while maintaining distance.

  • Do you have a plan to vote?

  • City/School Elections - MOVED to Tuesday, November 3, 2020 (Exception: Anna and Wylie municipal elections are, at the time of this publication, still scheduled for May 2, 2020). Contact the elections offices for these cities for more detail and updates.

  • Primary Runoff Elections - MOVED to Tuesday, July 14, 2020
Last day to register to vote: June 15,
Last day to apply for mail-in ballot: July 3

  • General Election - Tuesday, November 3, 2020

  • Will you contact voters? Call the Democratic Party Office to get a list and login for a Virtual Phone Bank! 972-578-1483

For more info on these activities, email us at vdrlead@collindemocrats.org

Thanks for all you can do!
Sharon Stark and Barb Walters, your VDR Co-leads
CCDP Office Closure
Due to COVID-19, the CCDP offices will be closed to the general public until April 30, 2020. This action is taken out of concern for those who work in our office, as well as visitors to our office. Group meetings can be conducted online using one of several applications, including Google Hangouts, Skype, or Zoom. Contact the Democratic Party office for more information.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Shades of Blue newsletter will take a hiatus.

We expect to resume the issuance of the newsletter closer to the Primary run-offs currently scheduled for July 14th.
Collin County Upcoming Events
Plano Area Democrats Virtual Happy Hour Featuring Tom Adair
Tired of having kids as coworkers? Feeling a bit cooped up? Join the Plano Area Democrats virtual happy hour with special guest HD 67 candidate Tom Adair!

Don't miss your chance to chat with a candidate in an informal environment. Happy hour will be hosted on Zoom, which is super user friendly! Meeting link provided with RSVP.

WHEN: Friday, April 3, 5:30–6:30 pm

WHERE: Zoom Meeting , Click here to sign up:
HD89 Meeting with Wylie City Council & CD-3 Candidate
How is the homeschooling going? Working from home a drag?

Join us for a fun time and learn something about your candidates for Wylie City Council .

We'll also be joined by our candidates for CD-3 Lulu Seikaly and Sean McCaffilty ! We'll be using Zoom which is really easy. Just click on the link!

NOTE: The Municipal Election for City Council in the city of Wylie is still scheduled for May 2, 2020. Early voting is April 20 - 28. (click  here   for locations/hours for Collin County voters).

WHEN : April 5, 2020 - 5:00 PM

Collin County Democrats With Disabilities Meeting
via Zoom Tele/Video Conference
Monday, April 20, 2020
You don't have to live in Collin County or have a disability to participate in the CCDWD meeting. We welcome allies and advocates!  

WHEN:  Monday April 20, 2020 - 5:30 p.m.-7:30 pm

WHERE: Zoom Meeting . REGISTER HERE to get instructions on how to join the meeting:

Questions?  disabilitydemocrats@gmail.com or 307-314-ABLE (2253)
Drinking Liberally and Living Liberally Meetings on Hold
But Yes, We Can Still Talk Politics
A consensus of the Drinking Liberally and Living Liberally leaders have agreed that we will not be meeting for the remainder of March and possibly into April. Like the rest of the nation, the health and well-being of our members are paramount. We invite everyone to reach out to various Democratic groups on Facebook and find camaraderie there until this COVID-19 crisis is over.

Meanwhile, remember to keep a six-foot distance, wash your hands like your mother is watching over your shoulder, stay out of the public if you are feeling unwell, and keep an eye on those around you who might need help with seemingly simple things like grocery shopping or a check-up phone call.

Watch the CCDP online calendar for updates on upcoming events. We want to see you back when it is safe for all of us.

Drinking Liberally and Living Liberally are informal, inclusive progressive social groups. Raise your spirits while you raise your glass, and share ideas while you share a pitcher. Drinking Liberally gives like-minded, left-leaning individuals a place to talk politics. You don't need to be a policy expert and this isn't a book club - just come and learn from peers, trade jokes, vent frustration and hang out in an environment where it's not taboo to talk politics.